


Black Burning Heart

by sartiebodyshots



Category: Falling Skies
Genre: AU, Episode:s05e09, F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-24
Updated: 2015-08-30
Packaged: 2018-04-17 02:41:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4649148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sartiebodyshots/pseuds/sartiebodyshots
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU where the spy the Espheni sent is Rebecca Mason, not Lexi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Woman in the Woods

Matt turns over the woman laying the on the ground carefully, not wanting to hurt her.  Her red hair is ragged and she’s too thin, like she hasn’t had enough to eat lately.  Her face is scratched up.  Something about her is familiar, but Matt can’t quite figure it out.

The woman opens her eyes and smiles widely.  “I found you.  You’re so big, Matt.”

Matt’s chest constricts as he recognizes the woman lying on the ground.  God, how could he not have recognized her in the first place?  He just stares at her, openmouthed, unable to form coherent words.

“Matt?” Maggie asks.  “Who is she?”

“She’s my mom,” Matt eventually manages to say, voice cracking. 

Maggie cocks her weapon and Matt jumps between them. 

“Matt, step aside,” Maggie says.

“She’s my mom!” Matt protests.  “You can’t shoot her.”

“She’s not really your mom, Matt,” Maggie says.  “She’s a fake.”

“Excuse you,” Mom says, coughing.  “I’m not a fake.  I’ve been searching for my family for years.  Tell her how I used to rub your nose to get you to sleep, Matt.”

“It’s Mom!” Matt protests.  “How’re the aliens gonna know how Mom used to tuck me in?”

“I know you want her to be real, Matt, but it’s not possible.  Not after all this time,” Maggie says.  “You know she died.”

“No!  We’ve thought people were dead before, but they’re fine now,” Matt says.  “What’re you gonna do?  Shoot her right here?  We’re taking her back to base and Dad and everyone can find out she’s alive!”

“Tom?” Mom murmurs, head slumping back as her eyes slide shut.

“Help me!” Matt says as he starts to pull on Mom. 

She’s lighter than she should be, but Matt still won’t be able to get her back to camp by himself, not without just dragging her along.  If he has to drag her alone, he will, but he would rather not.  Mom deserves better than that. 

Maggie sighs loudly and then she grabs Mom’s other arm, helping Matt take her back to the military base.

* * *

 

Weaver can tell that something is up as Matt and Maggie stumble in the gate with a woman in between them.  Matt looks elated, but Maggie just looks sad. 

“Get Dad!” Matt yells.  “Get Hal and Ben, too!”

“Who is this?” Weaver asks, stepping forward to help them support the woman.

“It’s my mom!” Matt says.

Weaver’s eyes go wide as looks at the Espheni spy.  “Put a bag over her head, take her to the brig.”

“What?  You can’t!” Matt yells.  “Didn’t you hear me?  She’s my mom!”

“Matt, your mom died before you joined up with the 2nd Mass.  If she’s here, she’s not her,” Weaver says as kindly as he can. 

Rebecca stirs and looks up at him.  “Where’s Tom?  Where are Hal and Ben?  Are they okay?”

“They’re okay,” Matt assures her, patting her arm.  “I’ll get them once I get you food.”

Rebecca smiles down at Matt, patting his head tenderly.  “I’m glad they’re okay.  Thanks, Matt.”

“Put a bag on her head,” Weaver repeats.  “Take her to the brig.”

“You’re not putting a bag on my mom’s head and locking her up!” Matt says. 

“It’s okay, Matt,” Rebecca says.  “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not!  They’re treating you like a prisoner,” Matt says.

Weaver nods at the soldiers regretfully.  He doesn’t want to do this, especially in front of Matt, but the safety of the mission has to come first.

“No!” Matt yells, letting go of Rebecca to swing at one of the soldiers coming forward.  “You can’t treat my mom like this!”

Maggie is left to support Rebecca, so Weaver steps forwards to wrap his arms around the struggling young man. 

“Matt!  It’s okay,” Rebecca yells weakly as they put the hood over her head.

Matt pushes against Weaver, yelling out for his mom as the soldiers drag her away.


	2. Stay Away

“What do you mean Mom’s in the brig?” Hal asks, his heart beating faster and faster.

“It’s not your mother, Hal,” Weaver says.  “It’s like Katie was, some kind of copy.”

Hal presses his lips together and nods.  “Yeah, yeah I know.  Where is she now?” 

“It’s downstairs,” Weaver says, “and you should know that Matt thinks it’s your mom.  He won’t leave the brig.”

Hal feels his chest constrict.  He can’t imagine what it’s like for him.  Part of him knows that he should go down and talk to Matt, but he can’t.

He’s missed Mom so much.  Dad has been a great parent to them, especially under the circumstances, and Hal knows that and loves him for it.  But Mom has just always understood him on a level that no one else in the family ever has. 

And that thing down can’t be Mom because Mom is dead.  If he goes down and talks to it… Hal doesn’t think he’d be able to walk away.  No matter what. 

“Get someone to-“ Hal’s about to have Weaver get someone to drag Matt out of there when he sees Dad walking towards them.  “Oh…”

Weaver turns in the direction that Hal is looking.  “I’ll talk to him.”

“No,” Hal finds himself saying.  “It should be me.”

“What’s wrong?” Dad asks when he reaches them.  “Something happen with Ben?”

Hal shakes his head.  “Matt was out in the woods.  He found…” He inhales deeply.  “He found an Espheni spy.  It looks like Mom.”

Dad inhales sharply.  “Where is she?”

“It’s in the brig,” Weaver says. 

Dad’s nostrils flare and he starts to pace back and forth.  “I’ve gotta hear her out.  See what she has to say.”

“Tom…” Weaver starts.

“Listen!  If she’s Espheni, she might know something about this queen that’s coming.  If she’s really Rebecca…” Tom says, biting his lip so hard that Hal is worried he’s going to bite right through. 

“She’s not,” Hal says.  “We checked to see if she’s dead.”

He remembers what it felt like, to hold his hand over his mom’s mouth and not feel anything move.  To touch her cheek and have it be cold. 

Dad nods, running his hand through his hair.  “Yeah, I remember.”

Hal has spent enough time with Dad and Ben to know when they’re thinking too much.  He’s over twenty years old now and he still doesn’t know what to do to get either of them to stop. 

But then he sees Cochise walk by, and Hal almost lunges at him.  “Cochise!”

“Hal,” Cochise says.  He looks at the three of them.  “What has happened?”

“Matt found Rebecca in the woods,” Dad says.

“Rebecca?” Cochise says slowly. 

“My Rebecca, Cochise,” Dad says, looking up at him.

“Your deceased mate?” Cochise asks.

“Yeah,” Dad says, nodding. 

Cochise presses his hand against Dad’s shoulder.  “You do not have to deal with an Espheni spy who has taken the appearance of your dead mate.  Colonel Weaver and I are more than capable.”

“I can’t let you do that,” Dad says.  “I’ve gotta talk to her myself.  If there’s the slightest chance that it’s her.”

“Dad, there’s no chance,” Hal says. 

“We never actually buried her body, remember?” Dad says quietly.  “We laid her in her grave, but we never actually buried her because the skitters came.”

Cochise is rubbing Dad’s back gently as Hal tries to ignore everything that he’s saying.

“I will come with you, to ensure your safety,” Cochise says.  “In case it is not your deceased mate.  It will be difficult for you.”

“I have been dealing with the Dorniya using my dead wife’s face.  What’s one more alien doing it?” Dad says bitterly.

“I’ve gotta go,” Hal suddenly says. 

He can’t listen to any of this anymore.  He can’t think about this anymore.  He turns and leaves before anyone can say anything else to him.


	3. Together Again

Tom swallows hard as he stands just outside the brig.  There are… happier noises coming from the room than there were the last time he was in there.  And he hears her voice.  He hears her beautiful laugh.

When he looks over at Cochise, he knows he hears it too.  He’s heard her voice so much recently, but no one else has.

“You do not have to do this, Tom,” Cochise repeats, hand resting on his lower back. 

Tom looks back at him.  “Yeah, I do.  It could be her, Cochise.  Or a source of information.  Either way, we win.”

“Very well,” Cochise says.

Tom takes a deep breath before opening the door to see Rebecca in a cell, laughing with Matt.  They both turn to look at them and Rebecca gets to her feet.

“Tom,” Rebecca says, holding out her hand to him.  “I’ve wanted to see you for so long.  I’ve been looking for you for years.”

“And you only managed to catch up now,” Tom says, crossing his arms.  “Now that we’re about to make the final push on the Espheni queen.”

“Dad!  It’s Mom!” Matt protests.

“Perhaps you should give your mother and your father some privacy, Matt,” Cochise suggests.  “They have much to discuss.”

“Be nice,” Matt says.

“There’s nothing I want more than for this to your mom,” Tom says.  “I promise.”

Matt nods before turning to Rebecca.  “I’ll see you later… Mom.”

“See you, Matt.  I love you!” Rebecca says.

“Love you too, Mom,” Matt says, squeezing her hand before leaving the room. 

Tom steps more fully into the room and Cochise shuts the door behind them. 

“How did you get here?” Tom asks.  “You’ve been dead for years.”

Rebecca sighs and presses her forehead against the bars.  “I was out gathering food with Michael Harris.  A whole herd of skitters came and he knocked me out to leave me as bait- we didn’t know what they wanted then.  I woke up to find him looming over me… he was muttering something about the greater good and how important he could be.  Then he stuck something in my arm, injected me with something.  The next thing I remember, I was in a grave.  I’ve spent every moment since then trying to come back to you, Tom.  All I’ve wanted was to be with you and with our boys again.”

Tom feels his heart beating faster.  Is it implausible?  Yes.  Is it impossible?  No.  He sighs and closes his eyes. 

“Tom, perhaps you should leave,” Cochise says, touching his back.  “This is too much to bear.”

“Say something that only Rebecca would know,” Tom says, opening his eyes and looking at the woman in the cage.  Her face is so thin, her hair is so ragged, but she still looks like the woman he loves so much.  “Something only you and I would know.”

“You snuck into my dressing room on our wedding day,” Rebecca says, smiling at him.  “You said that not seeing me for a day was way too long, and it wasn’t like we needed luck when we had each other.  You were so cheesy back then, Tom.  Now I figure it was good practice for all these years apart.  It was the happiest day of my life, except for when the boys came along.”

“Rebecca…” Tom says, stepping forward.

“Tom!” Cochise says, hand on his shoulder.  “You must not get close.  You may be a target.”

Tom turns to look at Cochise hopelessly.  “How could the Espheni know that?  Cochise, if Rebecca died years ago, how could they know what happened on our wedding day?”

“They have invaded your mind before,” Cochise says.  “Did they not create a hallucinatory world where you believed that the invasion did not happen?  The Espheni can do many terrible things, Tom.”

Tom feels his chest constrict.  “What you’re saying is that even if Rebecca says all the right things, we can’t really be sure she’s Rebecca?” 

“It will take time, Tom,” Cochise says.  “It will be difficult, but you must be safe.”

“I understand,” Rebecca chimes in.  “Matt told me about what happened here.  I get that you have to be careful.  But please, let me see Hal and Ben, too.  I have to see them.”

“If they want to, they can come down here.  Of course,” Tom says.  He feels like he can’t breathe, like he can’t even think.  This has to be Rebecca, but it can’t be.  “Cochise, you stay here, keep an eye on her.”

“Are you certain you do not wish me to come with you?” Cochise asks.  He looks so scared, so concerned for him.

“Yeah,” Tom says.  “I’m sure.  Stay here.”

“As you wish,” Cochise says, touching Tom’s shoulder gently.

“Tom, please don’t go,” Rebecca pleads.  “I don’t care if I’m in a cage; I just want to be near you and my family again.”

“He’s good company,” Tom assures her, patting Cochise’s chest.  “I’ll be back, I promise.”

Tom pauses like he wants to say something more, but he needs to breathe, so he gives them both a strained smile and leaves.

* * *

 

 “Who are you?” Rebecca asks.

“I am Chichauk Il'sichninch Cha'tichol, but the humans on this planet call me Cochise,” Cochise says.  “I am a member of the Volm.”

“You seem… really familiar with Tom and with Matt,” Rebecca says. 

“I do not discuss my personal relationships with Espheni spies,” Cochise says.  While he knows that this is not actually the woman that Tom loves, but a duplicate, Cochise finds he is interested anyway.  This is a representation of the woman who mothered the offspring he loves so deeply now.

“He loves you,” Rebecca says.  “I know what he looks like when he’s in love.  He looked at me like that for decades.”

“Tom still loves Rebecca deeply,” Cochise says.

Rebecca inhales deeply.  “Is that why you’re so desperate to convince everyone that I’m an Espheni agent?  Because you’re worried that he won’t look at you like that when he finds out his wife is back?”

Cochise’s eyes widen.  He had not considered that possibility, primarily because Cochise finds it unlikely that they will discover that this is, in fact, Rebecca.   

Rebecca scoots back against the far wall, leaning her head against it.  “I’m the mother of his children.  I don’t know what you think you have with him, but it’s nothing like that.”

“I do not discuss my personal relationships with Espheni spies,” Cochise says. 

“He’ll be nice about it, but you should still prepare yourself for when Tom realizes who I am,” Rebecca says. 

“Very little would make Tom and our offspring happier than if you are who you claim to be,” Cochise says, “and so very little would make me happier as well.  But you are not, and I worry about what will happen to them because of you.”

Rebecca stands up, comes to the near part of the cage.  Her fingers are clenched against the bars.  “Your offspring?  Are you talking about my kids?”

“You never produced any offspring.  You are an imposter,” Cochise says.  “I will do whatever I can to keep Tom and our offspring safe.”

“Those are my kids that you’re calling your own,” Rebecca snarls at him.  “My kids and my husband.” 

Cochise takes a small step forward, crouching so he is at eye level with the Espheni spy.  “If I am wrong and you are, in fact, Rebecca Mason, I hope we will be able to work together to keep the humans we both care about safe.”

“Not likely,” Rebecca says, slinking backwards to the wall of the cell.

“I will do whatever Tom believes is best,” Cochise says, inclining his head. 

For now, that means remaining in this room with this Espheni spy.  Unfortunately, Cochise is now considering what the future may hold.  It is unlikely that this is, in fact, Rebecca Mason.

If she is, however, it seems as if he will no longer be welcome with his family.  It will, of course, be best for Hal, Ben, and Matt to have their actual parent back and for Tom to have his broodmate.  Their happiness and wellbeing is what concerns Cochise the most.

Cochise would then have no other choice than to return to eternal war against the Espheni.  It is a depressing thought. 


	4. Ben

Ben looks down at his little brother in surprise.  “They made a fake Mom?”

“No!” Matt says, grinning up at him.  “I found Mom!”

“Matt…” Ben says, fully ready to tell Matt that there’s no way that it’s Mom.  But Matt looks so happy, so truly hopeful for the first time in a long time.  “Just be careful.  Remember what happened with Katie.”

“She knows stuff, Ben.  Stuff that a copy of her couldn’t know,” Matt says, shrugging.  “Mom would.  Go talk to her.” 

Ben nods a little.  He hadn’t been sure if he really wanted to go see this fake version of his mom, but there’s something in the way Matt talks that makes him want to see this for himself. 

So many terrible things have happened to them since this war began… maybe they can have a miracle for once. 

His heart is in his throat as he walks down to the brig.  Ben tries not to think about the last time that he came down here. 

He’s not prepared to open the door to see his mom sitting in a cell, Cochise watching her warily. 

His mom stands up, reaching through the bar at him.  “Ben!  You’ve grown up so much.  And you got rid of that long hair.  You really look like a grown man now.”

Ben’s break catches in his throat.  How can it sound just like her?

“You can’t be Mom,” Ben says quietly, more to himself than to anyone else. 

“I’m your mom, Ben.  I promise,” Mom says.  “Come a little closer, I want a good look at you.”

“Ben, please be cautious,” Cochise says from behind him. 

Mom glares up at Cochise and Ben turns to look back at him too. 

“Cochise, I’ll be fine.  I really don’t think she can hurt me; she’s behind bars and I’m still a super freak,” Ben says.  “You’re here, too.”

“Super freak?” Mom asks.

Ben sighs and turns back to Mom.  “I’m, uh, not really the same as I used to be.  At all.”

“Is that why you’re so pale?  Why you look so sick?” Mom says.

“It’s kind of a long story, but I got taken by the Espheni for a while.  They did some stuff to me,” Ben says.  “By the time Dad and Hal got me back, there was some permanent damage.”

“What kind of damage?” Mom asks. 

Ben scoots a little closer to the cell, getting down at her eye level.  “You really don’t want to know.” 

Mom reaches her arm through the bar and her fingers just barely brush his face.  The tenderness makes his heart clench; it’s been so long since someone has touched him tenderly like this.  “I’m your mom.  Of course I do.”

Ben presses his lips together and turns his back to Mom.  Facing Cochise, he can see the distress on his face.  He wonders why Cochise seems so distressed, but then his body starts screaming at him as he pulls the back of his shirt up so he stops thinking about Cochise. 

“It’s, uh, not as bad as it looks, mostly,” Ben tries to console her as she gasps.  He pulls his shirt back down and turns around to face his clearly upset mom.  “And the spikes mean I can do a lot of really cool stuff.  I can totally beat Hal in a footrace now.”

Mom laughs a little.  “You guys still competing against each other?”

“Not as badly as we used to.  Mostly,” Ben says.

“And the… spikes?  Are they why you look so sick?” Mom asks, gesturing him forward. 

Ben scoots forward a little bit, heedless of Cochise’s worried noises behind him.  “It’s okay, Mom.”

“What happened?” Mom asks, cupping his cheek gingerly. 

Ben leans against her hand.  “We found-“

“Ben!” Cochise’s voice comes from behind him, sounding stern.  “You cannot reveal important, current information to an Espheni spy.” 

“Cochise!” Ben says, turning back to look at him.  “It’s my mom!”

“It is merely a copy,” Cochise says.  “I am aware it is difficult to remember, but this is an Espheni spy, not the mother you miss so deeply.”

“What would you know about it?” Ben says angrily.  This has to be his mom.  It feels like his mom.  “It’s not like the Volm have families like we do!”

Cochise blinks at him a few times as Ben feels his heart beat hard against his chest, wishing he could take back the words as soon as he said them.  He had seen Cochise’s reaction to his dad’s death.

“I have lost both my father and my brother, and it is unlikely that my other father will ever speak to me again because of the things that have transpired on this planet.  There is much I would sacrifice to talk to my brother again,” Cochise says softly, the pain evident in his voice, “but we cannot have everything we desire, and when we receive what we desire most in times like these, it must be looked at with suspicion.”

Ben presses his lips together to try to hold back the tears threatening to spill over.  “But it’s my _mom_.”  He hates how his voice catches in his throat.  “I just know it is.”

“I hope you are correct,” Cochise says, “but until it can be confirmed, rationally, you must refrain from sharing closely held information with her.”

Ben nods a little because he knows he’s right, as much as he doesn’t want to admit it, before turning back to Mom.  “I’ve been working on something; it’s been draining, but I’m okay.”

“You should stop whatever it is you’re doing,” Mom says, brushing over his cheek again.  “It’s clearly hurting you.  Does your dad know about this?”

“Yeah,” Ben says.  “He wants me to keep going.  It’s really important.”

“It looks like it’s killing you,” Mom says. 

“Hey, if the bullies at school couldn’t do it, what chance do some aliens have?” Ben says, trying to crack a smile.

“You don’t have to do everything, Ben,” Mom says seriously.  “That’s not your responsibility.”

“I’m the only one who can do this,” Ben says, shrugging even though he’s still sore.

“I don’t like it,” Mom says. 

“Trust me-“

“You’re my son, Ben,” Mom says.

“And I’m Dad’s son, too.  He knows the stakes.  Trust me, if you knew how important what I was doing is, you’d support it,” Ben says.

“There’s no stopping you, is there?” Mom asks. 

“We’re gonna win this war, Mom.  And then we can be a family.  I can help make that happen sooner,” Ben says. 

“You’ve changed so much; I’m so proud of you,” Mom says, smiling at him. 

Ben glows under the praise.


	5. Blind Love

“Tom, I need to know what you’re thinking,” Weaver says gruffly, coming up to him. 

“It’s her.  It’s gotta be her,” Tom says, staring out over the main part of the compound.  He needs to think, but his brain gets stuck on the fact that Rebecca has been out there for years, without him or the boys.  Losing Rebecca and having Ben get kidnapped in a short span had been hard, but losing his wife and all his children would have been impossible for him to handle.  “I don’t know how it can be her, but she is.”

“It can’t, Tom,” Weaver says, clapping his shoulder.  “I know what you’re feeling, but-“

“No offense, Dan, but you don’t,” Tom says.  “This is my _wife_.  We had a whole life together.  I know you loved Katie, but this is different.” 

Weaver holds up his hands defensively.  “That means it’s harder for you to keep perspective, if anything.”

Tom runs his hand through his hair.  “She explained how she survived.  She explained why we thought she was dead.  It’s possible.  It’s all so damn possible.”

“But the Espheni using her to manipulate you is much more likely, Tom,” Weaver says.  “Look at you, you’re a wreck.  We should be talking strategy for the final push to Washington, but instead we have a crisis on our hands- a crisis that affects one of our leaders and two of our best fighters.  It’s a brilliant plan.”

“She knew things.  Things from our wedding day.  Things we never told anyone else,” Tom says. 

“They can get inside people’s heads, we know that,” Weaver says.  “You have to try to be objective about this, and if you can’t, you have to let someone else handle this.”

“I can’t just walk away from this,” Tom says.  “From her.  I left her behind once because I thought she was dead.  It’s the worst thing I have ever done.  I can’t do that to her again.”

“It’s a spy,” Weaver says. 

“I can’t just accept that.  Not when it seems so possible,” Tom says, sighing and turning away. 

* * *

 

“Hal!  What are you doing up here?” Matt asks. 

“Lunch,” Hal says, shoveling another spoonful of soup into his mouth.  “This is some good soup.” 

“But Mom is downstairs!” Matt says.

Hal takes a steadying breath.  “It’s not Mom.  It’s an Espheni spy.” 

“No, really, it’s Mom!  I talked to her,” Matt says.

“They know how to make copies seem like the real thing.  It’s not Mom.  Mom is dead,” Hal says.  His tone is harsher than he had meant to take with Matt, but he can’t let himself think, even for a second, that there’s a real possibility that the thing downstairs is his mom.

“She’s not!” Matt says, voice getting louder.  “She’s really here!  How many times have we thought Dad was dead, but he wasn’t?  He literally just came back from the moon and we didn’t think he wasn’t him!”

Hal shrugs.  “It’s different.”

He loves Dad, but it’s easier to keep perspective with Dad.

“How?” Matt presses, and Hal doesn’t want to be talking to him anymore.  This is a first.

“Because Dad was only gone for a few days, and he didn’t magically come back right after we got important information that’s going to help us eliminate the Espheni,” Hal says.  “It’s too easy.”

  “She’s been trying to find us for years, Hal!  It didn’t sound easy.  She almost made it to Charleston in time, but we had to leave right before we got there,” Matt explains.

“Convenient,” is all Hal can say.

“Would you have just left her there?”  Matt asks.

Hal shrugs.  “I’d have come back to get someone else to help me figure out what to do.”

“I couldn’t just leave our mom out there like that,” Matt says icily.  “And I can’t believe you would either!”

Matt stomps away angrily before Hal can say anything else.

Part of Hal wants to go after him, to make this right somehow, but Hal doesn’t even know how to make this right for himself, nonetheless Matt.  So he just eats his soup moodily.  Good soup.

* * *

 

 “Cochise!  What are you doing up here?” Tom asks, tilting his head. 

“I required nutrients,” Cochise says stiffly.  Truthfully, he could not remain with Rebecca for much longer.  Whenever they were the only two people in the room, she would remind him of the inevitable separation from his family. 

Tom nods absently.  He is distracted, which could be fatal in the battle to come.  “How is Rebecca?”

“She merely wishes to see you and your offspring,” Cochise says, attempting to sound as neutral as possible. 

“Sounds like Rebecca,” Tom says, smiling.

“It merely sounds like Rebecca,” Cochise says.  He wishes to reach out and touch Tom’s face, but he does not know if such a touch would be welcome right now.  It feels as if there is more distance between him and Tom than there ever has been.  “You cannot forget that it is not your Rebecca.”

“It could be!” Tom says, looking up at him pleadingly.  He steps forward and rests his head against Cochise’s chest, warm and soft.  “Please tell me that I’m not crazy, Cochise.  Please tell me that she could be here.  Dan tried to convince me it couldn’t be, but I really think it could be her.”

Cochise wraps his arms around Tom, gratified that he would let him hold him.  As he about to speak, he remembers his fear about being excluded from his family.  Perhaps if he did not have this fear, he would not have such deep reservations about Rebecca Mason’s presence. 

“I believe you must be cautious,” Cochise eventually says, enjoying the feel of Tom’s hair against his cheek.  “I hope that it is your deceased mate, but I do not find it likely.  I am sorry.”

“It’s gotta be,” Tom says mournfully.  “I can’t lose Rebecca twice.”

This is why Cochise had immediately offered to handle the Espheni spy.  He did not wish for Tom to experience this pain, again. 

“I cannot imagine seeing my brother again, intact, and knowing that it is not truly him,” Cochise says softly, “but you must remember that the most important thing is to protect yourself and your offspring.  I am certain that it is what your broodmate would want.  It is all anyone who cares for you would wish.”

Tom starts shaking against him and Cochise strokes his hair gently.  “What can I do?”

“Allow Anne Glass and Colonel Weaver control of this situation.  Do not see the Espheni spy again,” Cochise says.  “Allow me to comfort you and your offspring.”

“I can’t,” Tom says, looking up at him with a tear streaked face.  “I can’t just walk away from her, even if she might not really be her.  I wish I could, but I can’t.  Because she might be Rebecca.”

Cochise rests his hand against Tom’s cheek.  “Then I will do whatever I can to aid you.  No matter what the outcome.” 

“Thank you, Cochise,” Tom murmurs.  “I love you.  No matter what happens.  I want you to know that.”

“I love you as well,” Cochise says.  “So deeply.”  So deeply that he does not know what will become of him if he no longer has Tom and his offspring in his life.


	6. The End

Tom walks down to the brig by himself.  He probably shouldn’t go see Rebecca alone, but he wants to see her again.  He has to. 

“I was starting to worry you’d forgotten about me,” Rebecca says, looking up at him.

“I could never forget you, Rebecca,” Tom says.  He’s still a safe distance away from the cage.  “I’ve thought about you every single day.”

Rebecca presses her lips together and makes a noise that Tom knows means she’s upset about something.

“What’s wrong?” Tom asks. 

“What’s wrong is that I’m in a cage and Hal hasn’t even come to see me yet!  I was gone for years, and I find out that some alien is helping to raise my kids!” Rebecca says.  “He said they were _his_.  Does Hal love him more than me now?  Is that why he hasn’t come down?”

“Rebecca, Cochise has saved my life and the lives of our boys more times than I can count,” Tom says.  “He’s helped us so much over the years.  I trust him completely.  I would never let him near the boys if I didn’t.”

“He’s an alien, Tom,” Rebecca says.  “He’s an alien and walking around free, while I’m human and in a cage.  I understand that you have to be cautious, but why not be cautious with him, too?”

“We were, at first,” Tom tries to explain.  “But I know him now.  I’ve known him for years.  His dad tried to get him to abandon us once but he refused because he cares.  About me, about our boys, our whole planet.”

Rebecca sighs.  “I knew there might be some questions and some adjustment, but I had figured it’d be easier to slip back into being a family with you and our kids, Tom. You four are all that I’ve had to keep me going for the last few years, and now I don’t even feel like I belong in my own family.”

“Of course you belong here!” Tom protests, taking a step towards her.  “We love you and we are so happy to have you back, Rebecca.  Seeing you again, when I thought I had lost you, was one of the happiest moments of my life.”

“That’s not what it feels like!” Rebecca argues back.  She gets up on her knees and presses her face against the bars, and Tom can see her tears.  “I have been alone for years, but I’ve never felt this alone.”

Tom steps forward again and reaches out to carefully stroke Rebecca’s face, trying hard not to cry as well.  It’s the first time he’s actually touched her in what has truly been a life time.  So much has changed, but they still love each other just the same.  Her skin is soft under his fingers. 

“I promise yo-“ Tom’s sentence is cut off when hands wrap around his throat.  He’s pulled through

Tom looks up to see Rebecca’s features twisted into hatred.  He can’t fight, not against Rebecca, even if it’s not her.  Can’t do anything but lay there and feel his life start to slip away.

The last thing Tom is ever going to see is his dead wife’s face looking at him with hatred.  He wants to close his eyes, but he can’t look away. 

His vision starts to fade when he hears yelling and screeching.  It doesn’t matter, not even as air rushes back into his lungs.  Not even the air rushing back into his lungs can keep him conscious, though. 

* * *

 

Matt watches in horror as his mom’s body disintegrates on the floor.  She was strangling Dad.  He brought a spy back to their base. 

He looks up at Ben and Cochise, wanting to ask if Dad’s gonna be okay, but too afraid of the answer. 

Cochise walks over to Dad’s body slowly, checking his pulse.  “He is alive.”

It scares Matt that he can hear the fear in his voice.  

“Is he gonna be okay?” Ben asks. 

“I believe so,” Cochise says.

He scoops up Dad’s limp body and leaving the room. 

“Where are you taking him?” Ben asks, following him. 

Matt realizes he should follow, too, and he manages to pull his eyes away from where Mom just was.  The clearest memories of Mom he has… and it wasn’t her.  It was fake.

“I am returning him to the room we have been sleeping in,” Cochise says.

“What about the infirmary?” Ben asks.  “He needs to be looked at.”

“I believe what Tom requires is rest and solitude,” Cochise says. 

Matt follows behind Ben who follows behind Cochise.  People look at them, but no one says anything, which is too bad because Matt wants to punch someone.

Cochise lays Dad down in bed tenderly, stroking his cheek.  He seems so sad and worried.

“I’m sorry,” Matt says quietly.  “I’m sorry I did this to him.”

Ben looks down at him, clearly about to say something, but Cochise turns and crouches in front of him before Ben can get to it. 

“You did not do anything wrong,” Cochise says, resting a hand on his shoulder.  “You merely wished to aid the people you hold dear.  You did the human thing, Matt.”

“But it hurt Dad,” Matt says, voice cracking stupidly.  “And now everyone is gonna be sad because of me.”

Cochise surprises Matt by pulling him into a tight embrace.  “People are not hurt because of you.  They are hurt because of the Espheni.”

Matt nods, wrapping his arms around Cochise as best he can.  “Thanks, Volm Dad.”

Cochise doesn’t pull away until Matt does, wiping at his nose. 

“You are welcome, Matt,” Cochise says.  He looks up at Ben.  “Perhaps you should take your brother for food.”

“I don’t want to go,” Matt protests.

“Matt, you require nutrients,” Cochise says, blinking his eyes. 

Matt realizes that Cochise doesn’t want them to see him cry, so he nods and squeezes Ben’s hand.  He lets Ben take him out of the room.

“He’s right,” Ben says once they’re out of the room.  “It’s not your fault.”

“Hal said he wouldn’t’ve done it,” Matt says miserably.  “And he would have been right.”

“It’s really easy to say that you wouldn’t’ve done it, if you’re not the one who had to do it,” Ben says.  “I think that any of us would have done what you did.  We all wanted Mom back so much.”

“I’m still the one who did it,” Matt says miserably.

“Dad’ll be okay,” Ben says.  “And so will the rest of us.”

There’s still a sick feeling it Matt’s stomach.


	7. It's Not Alright, But It's Okay

Once Ben and Matt are gone, Cochise shuts the door and returns to Tom’s bedside.  He rests his hand on Tom’s chest, allowing his tears to flow.  It had been terrifying to walk in to see the Espheni spy strangling Tom and to see him lying there, unable or unwilling to fight.

“You must awaken, Tom.  I understand why you would not wish to, but you must do so,” Cochise says quietly as he examines the bruising around Tom’s neck.  “I need you, as do your offspring.  Please.”

Tom does not answer; his chest continues to rise and fall steadily.

* * *

 

“What’s wrong?” Hal asks as his brothers walk down the hall towards him.  Their shoulders are both slumped and they look more defeated than they ever have.

“I ruined everything,” Matt mumbles, refusing to look at him.

Hal looks up at Ben for clarification.  He doesn’t want to say anything until he knows exactly what’s happening.  Matt looks… delicate right now, and delicate isn’t a word that Hal would ever associate with his youngest brother.

“It was an Espheni spy,” Ben says.  “It tried to kill Dad.”

“What?” Hal says.  “Where is he?  Is he okay?”

“He’s in his room with Cochise, unconscious,” Ben says.  “Cochise told us to go get some food.”

“Cochise is sad,” Matt says, very clearly also sad. 

“Is it still in the brig?” Hal asks.  He tries to figure out how he feels about this.  It wasn’t Mom.  Mom is dead.  Mom is _still_ dead.  Mom was never not-dead.

“Ben figured out what was going on and then he killed it,” Matt mumbles.  He looks up at Hal.  “I’m sorry.”

“For what, buddy?” Hal asks, crouching down to get on his level.

“I ruined everything!  I made you sad and I made Dad and Ben sad and Cochise is sad!  And Dad almost died!  All because of me,” Matt says. 

“Hey, no, not because of you,” Hal scolds lightly.

“Yeah!”  Matt says.  “You wouldn’t have done it!  If you had found her, you would have got someone smart to figure out what to do!”

“Matt, there’s nothing wrong with what you did,” Hal says.  “Everyone wanted it to be Mom.  And, honestly?  I’m glad you brought her back.”

“You are?” Matt asks. 

Hal’s not sure how to say that he’d feel horrified if his little brother just left a woman lying in the dirt to die.  Even if it’s what Hal would do. 

“Yeah, I am,” Hal says.  “You wanted to help someone in need.  You wanted to bring us all back our mom.  There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“I wish I hadn’t messed everything up,” Matt says.

“Everyone’s made mistakes in this war, Matt,” Hal says, trying to smile reassuringly at him.  “Me, Ben, Dad- everyone.  Even Cochise, and he’s been fighting since before you were born.  Your heart was in the right place, Matt.  That’s what’s really important.”

He can see Ben squeezing Matt’s hand. 

“He’s right,” Ben says.  “I’m sad it wasn’t Mom, but I’m not upset at you.  I’m glad you brought her back.”

Ben catches his eye and Hal just knows that he’s thinking the same thing- that they’re glad their baby brother is still able to take that kind of leap of faith, even after everything that’s happened.

“You agree with Hal?” Matt asks.

“Yeah, I do,” Ben says.  

“So you know that we’re right because we never agree,” Hal says, snorting a little.  “Come on, let’s get something to eat.”

Matt feels marginally better as Hal takes his other hand.

* * *

 

Tom feels a light, gentle touch on his face and he flinches away instinctively.  The last thing he remembers is Rebecca choking him.

“Tom, it is Cochise,” a soft voice says.  “You are safe.”

Reluctantly, Tom opens his eyes to look up into Cochise’s scared face. 

“Rebecca…” Tom manages to say, even though his throat is sore.  

“It was not your deceased mate, Tom,” Cochise says.  “I am sorry.”

Tom turns so he’s laying on his side, facing away from Cochise.  He wants to cry, but he feels too dead to cry. 

“I cannot imagine your loss or the emotions you are feeling,” Cochise says.  “But you must persevere.  You cannot allow your loss to prevent you from doing what needs to be done.  There is still a great battle to fight.”

“How could I be so gullible?” Tom finally asks.  “I put us all in danger.  Dan told me it was stupid.  You told me it was stupid.”

“I did not say your feelings were stupid,” Cochise says.  “You wanted the return of someone you love very dearly.  It is understandable.”

Tom feels the bed dip as Cochise lays down behind him.  Careful, hesitant arms wrap around his waist, pulling him securely against Cochise’s chest.  It helps him feel grounded, reminds him of where he is and who he still has. 

“I was so foolish,” Tom says, forlornly.  “And I hate that I was so predictable that they could play me like that.  I hate that they were able to give me Rebecca and then just take her away like that.  I hate that it feels as if I lost her all over again, even though I know I didn’t.”

“You are human.  Humans are sentimental and they love more deeply than any creatures I have ever encountered,” Cochise murmurs in his ear, breath warm.  “It is your greatest strength, but it, unfortunately, also can cause you great pain.”

Tom nods a little and turns to face Cochise, examining the now familiar face.  The first time he saw Cochise’s face, he had been terrified- he had no idea if this new alien was another threat, some offshoot of the Espheni.  Now it can comfort him like no other. 

“You’ve gotta keep yourself alive, okay?” Tom says, looking at him seriously.  “I can’t imagine losing you, too.”

“I will do all I can to survive, and I have more reasons to fight than any Volm before me,” Cochise says.  “You must promise the same.  I know you are filled with grief, and that with such great grief can cause you to devalue your own life, but you are not permitted to die, Tom.”

Tom nods his head.  “I promise.”

“Good,” Cochise says, leaning forward to kiss his forehead tenderly.

Tom can feel tension in every bit of Cochise pressed against him.  “What’s wrong?”

“You should rest, Tom,” Cochise says.  “Do not worry about me.”

“Talk to me,” Tom insists.

“I feel as if I have betrayed you,” Cochise says quietly, looking ashamed. 

“What?  How could you say that?” Tom asks.

“There is a portion of me that is not upset that the Espheni spy was not Rebecca, even though I know it has caused such distress to you and to our offspring.  It had informed me that once you trusted it again, it would ensure that I was no longer a part of your family.  I would no longer be allowed near you or near our offspring,” Cochise says, refusing to look Tom in the eye.  “I found the prospect terrible to contemplate, and so I felt some relief when we confirmed it was not really your deceased mate because it meant I would be allowed to stay a part of this family.”

“Cochise…” Tom says, trying to figure out how to phrase what he wants to tell Cochise.  “You are a part of this family.  It’s not a conditional thing.  I know it must be hard, being the only Volm in a family of humans, but you’re their parent just as much as I am.  I promise you, if Rebecca had actually come back, she would have been so grateful for everything you’ve done.”

“Thank you,” Cochise says, blinking rapidly.  “I am honored.”

“We are so lucky you came to Earth, Cochise,” Tom says, “and I’m speaking for all four of us.  We’re so lucky to have you in our family.”

Cochise strokes his face gently, clearly about to say something else when there’s a knock on the door.

“Volm Dad?” Matt’s voice peeps from outside.

Tom sits up with Cochise’s help before calling out, “Come in!”

The door opens and all three of the boys are standing in the doorframe. 

“Can we come in?” Ben asks.

“Yeah, of course,” Tom says, patting the bed. 

They all pile into bed, Hal closing the door behind them.  Matt sits as far away from him as humanly possible.

“How are you feeling?” Ben asks, looking at his neck warily. 

“I’m okay,” Tom says.  “I woke up a little while ago, and I feel alright.  No permanent damage done.”

Cochise’s arm wraps around him, pulling him close, and Tom is glad for the comfort.

“I’m sorry, Dad,” Matt says, looking at the bed. 

“Come here,” Tom says, patting his lap. 

Matt reluctantly climbs into Tom’s lap and Tom wraps his arms around him tightly. 

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for,” Tom soothes him.  “All you wanted was to help your mom.  There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“You almost got killed,” Matt says, looking up at his neck.

“That’s not your fault,” Tom says, kissing the top of his head.  “If it was, I’d tell you.  But it’s not.  You did the right thing.”

“Okay,” Matt mumbles.  “Glad you’re okay.”

Both Ben and Hal shift a little closer to them, and Tom nods to encourage them closer. 

“The battle in Washington DC is going to be our biggest battle, and when we win, it’ll be the battle that wins us back the planet,” Tom tells them.  “So I want to make sure that each of you know how proud of you I am.  How proud of you your mother would be as well.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Ben says, smiling grimly as Hal nods beside him.

“I am also impressed with your strength and your perseverance,” Cochise adds.  “I have encountered many aliens on many worlds, but there are no creatures comparable to humans.  And you are among the best of humanity.”

Nobody says anything else.  Hal and Ben just lean forward and hug them. 

The last few years have been terrifying and the last day may have been one of the worst of his life.  But he still has his family.

Tom knows there’s no way to guarantee that they’ll all be together like this again- as much as the possibility fills him with the deepest dread, it’s entirely possible that one or more of them will die during the last battle- so he does his best to remember everything, to preserve it just in case.

This is what has kept his fighting for all these years.  At the end of the day, his family is the only thing that truly matters.


End file.
